Preview: European Bid In Focus For Top Men's Sides

The four sides who sit within five points of each other in the Men's Premier Division meet each other in the Top 6 league this weekend as the season continues to take shape.

There are five points separating second-placed Surbiton (28 points) and Holcombe, who sit in fifth place on 23 points. Those two top flight sides meet on Sunday, while third against fourth conjures up a London derby when Hampstead & Westminster host Wimbledon.

Hampstead & Westminster beat their cross-Thames rivals 3-2 on the opening day of the season when the teams last met at Raynes Park. It is 38 games since H&W lost consecutive matches, while Wimbledon have gone 42 games without losing back-to-back.

Surbiton and Holcombe also last met on the opening day of the season in a 10-goal thriller, with Mark Pearn's side finishing up 6-4 winners.

“When I first came to Surbiton, playing at Holcombe was something of a banana skin,” said Tom Sorsby. “For us, we need to keep up the pressure on Old Georgians and win until we play them next [March 26].”

“The Euro Hockey League is massive for us and our big focus this season. We enjoy our time there and we want to keep going every year.”

For that to happen, Surbiton need to retain their title or secure a top two finish and overcome a recent league hiccup, with two of their three defeats this season coming in their last four matches.

Sorsby added: “With the new format we have 10 games and you have to be up for every single one of them. It’s novel and new at the moment but as a player in my position, I just enjoy every weekend.”

Meanwhile, it's top against bottom in the Top 6 split league on Sunday with Old Georgians unbeaten in 12 matches at home ahead of hosting East Grinstead. 

East Grinstead's last visit to Weybridge ended in a 7-0 defeat when Sam Ward scored four.

1:15pm Holcombe v Surbiton
2:30pm Hampstead & Westminster v Wimbledon

In the Bottom 5, Oxted return to league action with an away trip to Brooklands Manchester University on Sunday.

Oxted are looking for a hat-trick of victories in the Bottom 6 and are well on the way to securing their place in the top flight next season.

The last time the two sides met came in November when Oxted drew 4-4 at home.

Bottom side University of Exeter travel to Durham University following their 3-3 draw in late November. 

A last-minute penalty corner denied Exeter the three points, although it did end a run of 17 defeats in a row for the west country side.

1pm Durham University v University of Exeter
2pm Brooklands MU v Oxted

Loughborough Students and University of Nottingham, the top two teams in Division One North, hope to retain league form ahead of their crunch meeting next weekend.

Loughborough Students, the only side unbeaten this season, travel to Cambridge City on the back of a 10-1 rout of City of Peterborough, with Rory Penrose netting his fifth goal since the league restart.

Meanwhile, 18 different players have now scored for University of Nottingham this season, with University of Birmingham the visitors on Sunday. They last lost at home in late October (0-4 to Loughborough) and remain one point behind their rivals.

At the bottom end, Sheffield Hallam and City of Peterborough both face home ties as they aim to add to their sole victories this season.

Saturday 5 Mar
6pm Sheffield Hallam v Bowdon

Sunday 6 Mar
1:30pm Cambridge City v Loughborough Students
1:30pm Cardiff & Met v Olton & West Warwickshire
2pm City of Peterborough v Deeside Ramblers
2pm University of Nottingham v University of Birmingham

Reading's surprise dip in form, most recently with their home defeat to bottom side Havant last weekend, continues to leave Division 1 South wide open.

Reading have now lost three in a row but stay top on goal difference over Canterbury. Conversely, their opponents Old Cranleighan are unbeaten since Christmas and last lost in November against Sevenoaks.

Another brace last weekend from Tom Bean leaves the Canterbury man on 16 goals for the season and the Kent side now head to Southgate, who are three wins from seven at home this season.

Havant's season-opening win last weekend will give the Hampshire outfit plenty of optimism ahead of their home clash against Teddington, unbeaten in three.

Both Teddington & Havant have two games this weekend as it is the slip date for matches postponed on the weekend of 21 & 22 February. England Hockey is grateful to teams, officials and umpires and those responsible for appointments for their support in rearranging these matches

Saturday 5 Mar
12pm Havant v Teddington
5pm Sevenoaks v Oxford Hawks
6pm Old Cranleighan v Reading
6:30pm Southgate v Canterbury

Sunday 6 Mar
1pm Brighton & Hove v Teddington
1pm Team Bath Buccaneers v Havant

West Herts will hope to further boost their season after a first win in the league last weekend since October 31 (3-2 against Bromley & Beckenham).

But winning consecutive matches will be a hard task, as they face a home encounter against Conference East leaders Old Loughtonians, who lost their only game away this season in November.

The same befell second-placed Spencer, who have won five in a row since drawing with Old Loughts, also in November. Spencer, three points shy of their rivals, play Hampstead & Westminster 2, who they beat 4-2 at home in October.

West Herts' much-needed win means there are five places between bottom and sixth in a congested lower half of the division.

Saturday 5 Mar
2pm Bromley & Beckenham v Richmond
2:30pm London Wayfarers v Wapping
3:45pm Hampstead & Westminster 2 v Spencer

Sunday 6 Mar
1:30pm London Edwardians v Indian Gymkhana
1:30pm West Herts v Old Loughtonians

Unbeaten Barford Tigers opened up a pivotal three-point gap at the top after beating season-long rivals Harborne last weekend.

It's top against bottom this weekend as the Tigers face Khalsa Leamington, who have picked up just two points on the road this season. Meanwhile, a hat-trick from Santi Binaghi, one of English club hockey's leading scorers, took the Tigers hitman to 28 goals for the season.

Harborne hope to get back to winning ways when they face Harleston Magpies at home. The Magpies are on form, however, and will be gunning for a fourth victory in succession.

Saturday 5 Mar
3:30pm Loughborough Town v St Albans
4:30pm Harborne v Harleston Magpies

Sunday 6 Mar
12:30pm Loughborough Town v Lichfield
1pm Barford Tigers v Khalsa Leamington
2pm Bedford v University of Birmingham 2

The top three in Conference North all drew last weekend, with league leaders Belper facing a further test of their credentials when they take on Didsbury Northern at home on Sunday. The top four all play each other this weekend.

Belper's top scorer Sam Dixon netted his 16th of the season in the 1-1 draw against Timperley, who remain in second place.

They will look to the form of Connor Miller, who has scored in eight of his last nine games, ahead of their trip to Doncaster.

The Yorkshire side will be no pushovers, with the fourth-placed side last tasting defeat 10 games ago in October.

Saturday 5 Mar
4:30pm Alderley Edge v Wakefield

Sunday 6 Mar
1pm Belper v Didsbury Northern
1:30pm Preston v Durham University 2
2pm Beeston 2 v Leeds
2pm Doncaster v Timperley

University of Bristol continue to lead the way in Conference West and will vye for a hat-trick of wins to boost their promotion hopes.

Bristol, who face Plymouth Marjon, have a two-point gap at the top, with five points separating the top five in the league.

Fifth-placed Chichester are unbeaten since the resumption and will hope for further riches when they take on Cardiff University, who have lost two in a row.

Three defeats have left Clifton Robinsons fourth from bottom as they prepare to host second-placed Fareham.

Saturday 5 Mar
7pm Isca v University of Exeter 2

Sunday 6 Mar
1pm Cheltenham v Ashmoor
1pm Plymouth Marjon v University of Bristol
2pm Chichester v Cardiff University
2pm Clifton Robinsons v Fareham